We've all been there; after hitting on "snooze" three times, it's time to rip yourself out of bed to rise and shine...ha, ain't easy is it? Early mornings are bad enough without having to helplessly stare at those nasty multicolored dark circles and deep bags under your eyes in the mirror. It is safe to assume that most of us will need some serious help in the dark circles department daily, whether you had a late night, you're stressed out or aren't eating/drinking what you should - truth is, it's hard for everyone to get 8 hours of sleep every night anyway. Some are lucky enough to have very few dark circles or bags - I myself do not to have to deal with bags as you can see on the above picture. May I also add that this same picture was taken this morning, as I am still on spring break, and after no less than 9 hours of sleep. I know. Trust me, you don't want to see what my dark circles look like on a regular morning, with or without bags. I'm so acquainted with the zombie eye-look that I have now developed and learned about a few techniques that I use on a daily basis - little tricks that help me look somewhat human again. Nothing ground breaking, but I thought I could share anyway.
PRIME
The priming step is crucial to me, whether it is for you face before foundation, eyelids before applying eyeshadows, or your under-eye area. You may not need any foundation primer or eyeshadow extender, but you should take the time to care for your eyes. The skin around your eye is much thinner that the rest of your face, which is primarily why you should use a separate moisturiser and invest in an eye cream (although that is controversial; I personally believe that eye cream do make a difference, but as long as you use some kind of moisturiser, I'm okay with whatever you believe to be right). It is also one of those places where the first signs of aging will be visible; you can't help growing older, but you can help to make the transition slightly easier. You don't have to invest in the most expensive anti-aging eye cream and serum out there if you don't want to or don't have the budget - but a good, basic eye cream will undoubtedly make a huge difference in the way you will look like in ten to twenty years.
What's awesome with our generation is that more and more products are hybrids; take tinted mosturisers for example; they moisturise (obvious) while giving you a hint of coverage and, if you're lucky, even provide you with an spf. Some eye-creams can kill two birds in one stone (how horrific is that expression though?) too: last year I was introduced to the Dermalogica Total eye Care and it has become a part of my daytime skin care routine ever since. Incredibly lightweight and easily absorbed, it has a slight peachy tint to it with some (almost) undetectable light reflecting particles - which makes it an incredible base under make-up while caring for and protecting your eye area.
If you struggle with bags or puffy eyes, an easy trick is to apply your eye cream with the back of a spoon, which you can put in the fridge overnight for optimal effects. It's easier than to grab an ice bag every morning isn't it ? Alternatively, I've seen people store their eye cream into the fridge - feel free to do whatever you feel to most comfortable with.
CORRECT
After eye bags, the trickiest part to deal with when concealing is to hide those green and purple shades. The only way to conceal them - if they're at their strongest - is to use a peachy corrector. It is well-known that pinky-peach shades are the best at concealing green and purple shades whereas yellow handles redness. What is good with correctors is that they act as an extra layer, minimising the darkest shades underneath the concealer, to let the latter do its job properly. It is an extra step, but it only takes seconds and make the world of a difference for those who really do suffer with strong dark circles - like I myself often do (heads up to extra fair people out there and those suffering with severe allergies - you know what I'm talking about). Bobbi Brown has your back in term of correctors; their range literally offers a shade to suit every skin tone and come in both a pot and a liquid form, to satisfy your preferences.
I find it best to apply corrector (especially those in a pot-creamy form) with fingers (always use your ring finger though, please! ) so the product melts into your skin with the warmth of your finger - also you really need the tiniest amount. Apply it wherever you find those green and/or purple shades, usually around your inner corner, but sometimes you can spot some tiny green veins towards your outer corner too.
CONCEAL
When you finally have those veins (*gross*) under cover, it's time to move to my personal favorite part of my entire make-up routine: concealer! On top of corrector, it truly banishes dark circles and if applied right, will keep you covered throughout the entire day. To extend the wear of your concealer, make sure not to apply too much (so it doesn't cake up, wouldn't be a good look would it?) and to set it (so it doesn't crease). For an extra glow and to look that little bit more awake, use a powder at least one shade lighter than your skin tone or even one that has light reflecting particles in it, like my well-loved Hourglass Ambient lighting Powder in Dim Light.
Et voilà! No dark circles in the world will ever ruin your morning again (not that it should, we aren't that shallow are we eh? *guilty*) if you follow those three easy steps carefully, I promise!
xxx
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